DARK HEARTS
by kttykiwi
Summary: DARKFIC—Janeway sets out to punish Seven for her actions only to find a twisted pleasure in the power she wields. Feeling Alienated from the crew Seven must deal with the Captain's actions on her own until someone unexpected comes to her rescue.
1. History of the Universe

**Dark Hearts**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own ST: Voyager or anything associated with it, someone much more famous than me does.

**AU ST: Voyager with major episode rewrites and an EVIL Janeway.**

**Summary: **_DARKFIC—Captain Janeway sets out to punish Seven of Nine for her actions against the arms dealer, Kovin, only to find a twisted pleasure in the power she wields. Feeling Alienated from the crew Seven must deal with the Captain's actions on her own until someone unexpected comes to her defense. _

**Authors Notes: **This is the newest rewrite of Dark Hearts.

The story plot may seem the same but to be honest I've decided that it needed some major tweaking to get the story to work.

This first little bit is strictly to show major changes that must be made note of up to this point in the Voyager storyline. Without it some changes may seem a bit out of the blue or just plain wrong to die hard Voyager fans.

Seeing as I don't want people to be horribly confused I came up with this and once the story starts all new changes should come about fairly obviously.

**Dark Hearts Universe History Lesson**

**First Change: **

Naomi Wildman is still born during the Episode Deadlock, but this occurs only 6 months into Voyagers Journey.

I site this because I assume that a half Ktarian ages at 1.5x the rate of a full Human. If Samantha Wildman conceived within the month before the Caretaker episode that means that she found out by the end of month 2 she was pregnant and by month 6 or seven she could have the baby if the maturation rate remains the same in the womb.

This means that Naomi was in fact born BEFORE season 2 began, but still in the same manner. I am simply upping the Vidiian encounters in the timeline.

**Second Change:**

During the Episode Blood Fever, B'Elanna is given Pon Farr (yes I say it like it's a disease, for all intents and purposes this is what it seems to be.) Instead of getting together with Tom in ANY capacity (biting or kissing are BIG no no's) she kicks the crap out of him, leaving them JUST friends.

**Change Three:**

During The Gift, Kes helps to design the clothes for Seven, Instead of leaving the Doc to do it. She still wears the first Silver Bio-suit but WITHOUT heels.

The first suit is only necessary to help the skin around her implants re grow properly, meaning that she can change her clothes once it is no longer needed and Kes was sure to let her know this. (Yay for clothing choices!)

**Change Four:**

Naomi aging at 1.5 xs faster than a normal child is old enough to be considered a 6 year old and as a six year old is curious about the newest crew member from the beginning.

Like most children she will do as she pleases when it comes to making friends and is determined to make Seven hers. This leads to several short but important encounters between the two that help to expand Seven's understanding of humanity.

One such encounter is their joint creation of a new 'Uniform' for Seven as well as some armored 'Play Clothes'. (See

_fc00(dot)deviantart(dot)net/fs30/i/2008/137/7/2/Sevens_other_outfit_by_kttykiw(dot).jpg_

for an image of Seven in her new play clothes.

See

_fc06(dot)deviantart(dot)net/fs20/i/2007/263/8/d/Dark_Hearts_Cover_2_by_kttykiwi(dot)jpg_

for an image of her new 'uniform'.)

**Change Five:**

Scientific Method is a MAJOR turning point in this Alternate Universe.

During the Alien experiments on the crew things go mostly the same with some minor but important changes. Each crew member is involved in ongoing treatments to reverse the experimental effects, though some take longer than others and the Captain though horribly affected is treated last under her orders. Also Tom and B'Elanna go back to being JUST friends once they realize that their feelings were false.

Seven begins to wear her new 'uniform' once her own treatments are completed.

**Change Six:**

Year of Hell is a particularly important step in Sevens understanding of Humanity. During this time she quickly becomes friends with Naomi as the little girl sticks close to her 'Hero'.

Most of the year goes the same through to the end, though Seven takes to actually wearing her 'Play clothes' on a regular basis instead of the bio-suits Kes had designed or her 'uniform'. (Kes really only changed the cut and footwear so it was still a cat-suit but more tastefully so.)

At the end of the Year as things return to normal Seven experiences a quick surge in her cortical node that leaves her spaced out for about 10 seconds as all of her memories of the Year of Hell reset themselves to the new timeline.

Nothing noticeable happens till she regenerates and assimilates the knowledge of the Year that Never Happened. (Yes, this means Seven remembers her experiences during the Year of Hell, but more like the memories she recalls from others who had been assimilated due to the hive mind. Hers but not.)

**Change Seven:**

At the End of Prey Seven is punished by the Captain for her actions by being confined to the cargo bay. At this point she has finally become friends with Naomi and actively participates in games and holo-deck adventures with the young Ktarian, and feels sorrow that she can not do so until further notice.

Memories from the Year of Hell get her to begin wearing her lightly armored play clothes at all times even when on duty. This punishment lasts for a little over a month until they meet up with Kovin from Retrospect.

**Dark Hearts Begins there.**

**Sevens New Uniform**

Sevens uniform consists of a top and bottom instead of the one piece jumpsuits employed by the rest of Voyager at this time.

Her Jacket is long sleeved and high necked with a front zipper, and fits snuggly but not tightly. (Think fitted turtleneck with a zipper) The cloth is a mix of her bio-suit material and soft cotton, the bio-suit material lining the cotton shell. On each wrist is two stripes of Science blue and the neck of the jacket is the same color.

Under the jacket she wears a tight sports tank top in science blue that cuts off at the base of her ribs and acts in place of a bra/undershirt (it covers minimal skin to allow the bio-suit material lining the jacket to work properly).

The jacket contains a single small pocket above the right breast and is big enough to carry an object the size of a floppy disk without it showing.

Her pants are a form of Cargo pants that fit well but not tight and are slightly stretchy to allow for a greater range of movement. (Think low cut Capri's but with the pockets moved and longer) The cargo pockets are located between where they normally fall and the normal pockets most pants of today have.

They hold closed with a magnetic clasp and each is large enough to hold one pad and one tri-corder at the same time. They are lined with the bio-suit material in patches that match up to her remaining implants.

The shoes she wears resemble Converse Sneakers that lace up to mid calf and are instead made of heavy leather that contains a steel-toe. The laces are checkered with science blue and black squares.

**Sevens Play Clothes**

Sevens Play clothes consist of 3 parts, a shirt, pants, and an armored short sleeved jacket.

The shirt is mostly bio-suit material that is reinforced in certain areas to act as a sports shirt would, leaving no need for a bra beneath. The shirt is long sleeved and reaches down far enough to be tucked into her pants, and has a low neckline that shows her collar bone slightly.

She has several that come in different colors, blue, black, silver, and dark red.

Her pants are the same as her uniform but for a few differences.

The material is more durable, and the pants have built in patches at the knees and bum that act like pads. Also the pants are paired with an optional 'utility' belt as well as a total of three pockets. One cargo pocket the same as her other pants on one side, and 2 smaller pockets (think carpenter jeans side pockets) on the other.

The 'utility' belt is a simple leather belt with 3 pouches, one that would fit a tri-corder in the front and on the side with the smaller pockets, the second approximately the same size and slightly behind on the same side, while the third pouch is about ¾ as wide and deep as a fanny pack would be located on the opposite side and to the rear. (You can think of those utility belt purse things that you sometimes see at places like hot topic, but black and soft leather with magnetic clasps.)

The jacket is armored like a motorcycle jacket would be, across the spine and other major areas, but is hardly noticeable due to Borg and child ingenuity.

The sleeves cut off right below the bicep, while the bottom comes down in a point at the front and back leaving a small gap between the pants and jacket along the side of her hips that shows whatever shirt color she is wearing.

The top of the jacket has a small collar that leaves the very base of her throat bare even when closed tight. The armor itself is sewn into the jacket interior in overlapping patterns that resemble scales allowing for maximum movement in any direction. (An important factor in its design as Naomi pointed out they would probably move around a lot when playing outdoor games, thus the 'need' for armor)

Her shoes are the same but with different colored laces depending on the color of her shirt. (Naomi insists on this particular fact)

(Once made, Seven also designs a small outfit in a similar, but child appropriate style for Naomi for when they play rough. Sleeveless vest with elbow pads, shorts with knee pads, and sneakers.)

**END NOTE**

Well I hope this was educational, and will allow readers to understand where some of the changes in this universe come from.

Stand By for the continuing rewrite of .:Dark Hearts:. And let me know what you think!

_**kttyKiwi**_


	2. Slap on the Wrist

**Dark Hearts**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own ST: Voyager or anything associated with it, someone much more famous than me does.

**AU ST: Voyager with major episode rewrites and an EVIL Janeway.**

**Summary: **_DARKFIC—Captain Janeway sets out to punish Seven of Nine for her actions against the arms dealer, Kovin, only to find a twisted pleasure in the power she wields. Feeling Alienated from the crew Seven must deal with the Captain's actions on her own until someone unexpected comes to her defense. _

**Authors Notes:**

I got the idea for this story while listening to a J/7 music mix located at

screamingxenas (dot) com/voyager/mp3/lucky (dot) mp3

If you don't like darker themes please don't read, but feel free to listen to the song using win amp or media player.

Also I would like to thank **Soleil Fra **for being the straw that broke the camel's back. Your email convinced me to sit down and actually WORK on this story for the first time in nearly 6 months. As for the others who have also worked to bring me closer to the completion of this story (you know who you are) I also thank you because without your pleas I never would have gotten around to this.

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

This is an OFFICIAL warning to anyone who reads this. BEYOND THIS POINT LIES EVIL JANEWAY AND SEVERE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA.

YES I made Janeway EVIL, but not necessarily when compared to Canon because guess what? THIS IS A FANFICTION! I can do what I want including turning Voyager itself into a giant beet and having it get eaten by a duck. Not that it will happen but I'm just saying. This story is A/U (for those of you who don't know, this means Alternate Universe) and heavily so.

I cannot, and WILL NOT write anything too graphic, but I WILL give you enough hints to fill in the blanks. If you do not like these types of stories then PLEASE go find something else to read. I would rather not catch any flames for my story when I have warned you that it's not for everyone.

In any case I don't plan on having this story become too graphic as I have absolutely NO wish to write any scenes dealing with sex… abuse I can do same with fight scenes, but I'm horrible at sex scenes. So unless I deem it necessary to try to illustrate a scene, you will have to use your imagination.

One last warning, if you are against slash for whatever reason, then please turn away now and find a nice J/C story or something to read, because the only romantic entanglements I write about are of the girl/girl persuasion.

Also I would like to ask that if you read my story and enjoy/hate it, then please tell me. I enjoy feedback as it helps me to work harder to write good stories that appeal to people like me. (Part of the reason I am rewriting it into this. You wouldn't BELIEVE how good it feels to see all those good reviews. I'm just sorry I couldn't update for you sooner.)

Last but not least… I DO NOT CONDONE RAPE AND OR TORTURE OF ANY TYPE! You want to be kinky with your partner that's your business, but make sure it's consensual ok?

Now, on to the story.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

"Have a seat." Her voice is harsh and commanding, a direct order that would not be obeyed.

"I prefer to stand." The tone of arrogance, tempered with a cold logic of intellectual superiority.

"I keep forgetting… here we are yet again." A tired sigh escapes; briefly dislodging the steadily growing headache she could feel building. "Oh, I'm tired of having this conversation; you know what I'm going to say, I know how you're going to respond, so it seems pointless to say anything."

"Then shall I consider my privileges restricted and confine myself to the cargo bay?" She stands in the perfect military at ease stance, with perfect posture and perfectly clipped tones. No emotion seems to exist in that voice, none visible anyways, and for a fleeting moment she tenses.

"I think we've established that traditional disciplinary measures don't work with you." Captain Kathryn Janeway stands tall from behind her ready room desk and stares the young woman squarely in the eyes. "The only question is, what will?"

"Are you asking for my opinion?" She quirks her implant, truly baffled as to where this conversation seemed to be heading.

The small captain merely stares at her young charge for a moment before shaking her head as she moves to stand before the younger blonde. "Maybe I am. What will it take to make you understand?" She stares searchingly into the other woman's face a moment before moving to the replicator to order coffee, black.

Sitting once more at her desk with the bitter drink in hand she continues to study the woman before her from head to toe. The captain's eyes wander as she thinks, not for the first time, of what must lay beneath the blonde's clothes. Slowly she smiles as the inkling of an idea takes shape behind her eyes.

It is a smile that sends chills down the spine of the former drone, unlike anything she had felt since being severed.

"Captain?" Seven of Nine was beginning to feel more than a bit uneasy at the older woman's behavior. This reprimand was not going as they usually did, and for some reason she could not understand, the Captain's look was making her feel… well she wasn't sure what the emotion actually was, but it was decidedly not an enjoyable one.

"Seven, I want you to meet me in holodeck-three tonight, after your duty shift is over, 2000 hours. I will deliver the parameters of your punishment to you there, until then you are dismissed." Janeway snapped as her mind ran a thousand light-years a second. She would need to secure a few items from the Medical Bay and reserve the time necessary in the holodecks for the next 2 weeks.

'This may seem a bit harsh, but she _needs_ to learn better. Hopefully I won't be forced to punish her anymore than is necessary…'

"I will comply." With that Seven of Nine turned on her heel to leave the ready room and continue with her duty shift plotting this sector of space, the sense of unease she had felt quickly being pushed aside as 'irrelevant'.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

Strolling through the doors of holodeck three at precisely 2000 hours on the dot, Seven vaguely wondered what the diminutive Captain had in store for her punishment this time. Nothing she herself could think of as an actual punishment seemed likely. 'Maybe the Captain wishes to _teach_ me more human behaviors so that I may avoid my supposed infraction in the future.'

"Ah Seven, you're right on time. Over here please." Captain Janeway stood at her tallest, the pips on her uniform collar gleaming brightly under the ships lighting as she leveled a small glare at the young woman before her. "Hand me your com-badge, Seven."

Complying with the order the ex-drone merely raised her ocular implant in curiosity; one would assume the Captain meant to isolate her within a holo-program of her choice. A fact that was neatly proven as the computer was ordered to remove her access to the computer controls for the allotted time period.

"I wanted to make sure that this would be a punishment that you can't escape or hide from, and to that end I am taking all available options out of your control. Once the program has activated you will not be able to do anything to alter it, and will in fact come here every night after your duty shift for the next two weeks to run it until 0200 hours." Looking at the young woman before her Kathryn felt a pang of guilt knowing she was using something told in confidence as punishment. It was nothing short of exploitation.

"I suggest regenerating until Alpha Shift every morning as opposed to a longer cycle every few days, as you will still be required to perform your normal duties." At this point the Captain in her reasserted itself as she pulled out a hypo-spray and motioned the younger woman to remain still so it could be administered. "Do you have anything to say about your punishment?"

Seven merely quirked her implant as she tried to figure out where it was the older woman was heading with her explanation. "I do not."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe, computer activate program Seven-Janeway-Dark and seal holodeck doors with a privacy code. Authorization, Janeway Alpha-Gamma-Omega." The normal grid of an empty holodeck changed into what appeared to be a heavily modified version of Voyager's brig, the main difference being the size and number of cells. Instead of a full sized brig with several cells, there was only the one, much smaller, cell that had been stripped bare and sat across from what appeared to be a couch and table.

"In you go."

Enforced isolation was not something new to the ex-drone, and in fact was slowly losing its ability to affect her as it had when she was first severed from the collective. Being forced to remain in a cell about the half the size of normal did not seem any different than if she had been forced to remain in the actual brig.

"The hypo-spray I gave you should begin working in the next few moments, and was designed specifically with you in mind. More specifically it was designed to keep you from utilizing your Borg strength when you first came on board…" at this the force field snapped into place and the Captain had to force herself not to appear sympathetic at her next words. "You will remain here until 0200 hours to contemplate what it was you did wrong."

And with that Seven's view of the world went black.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

At first Seven thought her ocular implant had begun to malfunction, but that would not explain the dark as viewed by her fully human eye. It took her nearly a full 30 seconds, an eternity for someone of her capabilities, to understand what had just happened. Her Captain had betrayed her trust, something she had just started to come to understand.

"Captain Janeway?" There was no answer; in fact there were no sounds at all. She had been isolated completely from everyone and everything in a room meant to deprive a person of their senses. Suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to lean against the nearby wall as the muscle relaxant began to work against her. 'No… why…?'

Her thoughts were starting to jumble as feelings she had experienced only briefly upon her severance began to swirl through her body. All she could hear was herself, all she could feel was the wall she leaned against. In here her enhanced senses were useless.

"Captain?" Her voice was trembling in uncertainty and fear as she stared futilely through the black, praying to Omega that this was all a cruel joke, knowing that it wasn't. Turning around she slid down the wall slowly as her legs started to give out, too weak to keep her standing any longer.

A whimper escaped her throat unnoticed as her thoughts raced frantically. 'Why…? Why has she betrayed me? She knows I…' She wanted to jump up and force her way out of this horrible place, but was too weak to even stand.

Curling into a protective ball she made her way along the wall and to the corner as tears began to stream from her human eye. 'I hate the dark. I hate the dark. I hate the dark…' It became a mantra as memories she hated began to haunt her once more. 'I hate the dark…'

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

Seven and the Captain went about their day as if nothing of any importance had happened, and only those who spent any real time with both of them would be able to say otherwise. It was certainly obvious to the Chief Security officer that their newest crew member was not being her usual self, though his Vulcan logic kept him from interfering as her work had not been affected in the least.

He would however keep an eye on the young blonde to make sure that whatever was wrong would be kept from ships business… at least that is what he told himself. In reality, Tuvok was as worried for the usually logical woman as any Vulcan could be, having come to care for her during their many frequent talks about the logic of humans.

As for his Captain, he knew that what ever was bothering her would be kept from ships business. He would only inquire into the matter should it persist for more than a few days, or if her performance slipped during duty hours. As it was he would continue to discreetly keep an eye on their interactions for the next while, until he was satisfied that it had all been worked out.

'It is only logical to keep the crew in good mental health, as any interference would likely cause detrimental effects to their work performance during a crucial matter…'

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

It had been several hours before the program had finally released her, but it had felt like days as her thoughts raced endlessly in every direction. Curled into a semi fetal position with her head tucked into her arms, and hair loose from its bun, it had taken her over a minute to even realize that she was free. She had looked a mess and knew it, but didn't care as she quickly escaped to the safety of her alcove and cybernetic oblivion.

Since then she had spent a large portion of her shift trying to avoid thoughts of the nights coming torment. Just the thought of having to be so alone again was nearly enough to send her into a blind panic. Briefly she had toyed with the thought of not going but knew that it would only make things much worse later, the Captain was not one to be trifled with.

It wasn't until a second brief regeneration after her duty shift that she began to think more fully on the coming punishment. 'I can not do this. I must do this… I am Borg, we do not fear anything. I do not want to be alone… Why must I do this?' Her thoughts continued to run in panicky little circles even as she began to unconsciously pace the length of the cargo bay.

It wasn't until she felt the tell-tale tingle of the transporters that she realized that she was late to meet the Captain.

"Hello Seven. You didn't forget about your punishment, did you?" Janeway was leveling a force ten glare at the blonde who had materialized before her. "You are late. Though this is the first time you have ever been late to my knowledge, I will let it pass for now." Reaching up before Seven had realized what was happening, she emptied the hypo-spray into the blondes neck and stepped back to activate the force field.

"I…I apologize Captain, I did not mean to be late. I… did not realize the time." She looked away in embarrassment and shifted nervously as she studied the cell, hoping that the Captain wouldn't think she had done it on purpose. She did not want things to get worse.

Studying the twitchy blonde before her, Captain Janeway thought back on everything she knew about the individual before her and what she had been like as a Borg Drone. Deception was not something she knew how to do, and she realized that the younger woman really had lost track of the time. "That's alright Seven, just don't let it happen again or I will think you are doing it on purpose. If that were to happen I would be forced to take measures ensuring you come."

Even as she said it the older woman had vague thoughts of exactly how much she would enjoy making the blonde do just that. '…damn libido.'

"In the meantime though, for every minute you are late from now on I will lengthen the time spent here. Tonight I will only extend it by the twenty minutes you are late, and from now on your punishment will only start from the time that the force field is blacked out. Do you understand?" The Captain had given her no room for argument and so she merely nodded her understanding.

With a sigh Captain Kathryn Janeway activated the black out effect on the holo-programs force field and left Seven to her punishment.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

She was feeling a bit guilty. It was hard not to feel guilty when over a hundred lives depended on your leadership, and even harder when you knowingly betrayed the trust of those who looked to that leadership. Guilt, it was the curse and burden of being a Captain.

Currently she sat on the couch across from Seven's cell, staring blankly into space as her thoughts swirled over every decision she had ever made that turned out badly. It was maddening, and often the reason she couldn't sleep at night. But like her father had told her, _'To be a leader of men is to be responsible for those men in all aspects. Never let the guilt you feel at making a mistake keep you from doing what is needed.'_

For now though, her guilt was overwhelming. She was supposed to be a mentor, someone who would be there to help her charge regain her humanity. Instead she felt she was using that position to make a point by betraying something told in confidence. She knew, had known since the first time Seven came to her for a 'philosophical discussion', that the ex-drone was terrified of being alone in the dark. That knowledge is why she knew this was the most effective punishment she could ever devise.

Just the threat of being punished the same way again would make the younger woman behave at all cost.

A loud whimper, followed by a choked sob came through the com unit built into the table that allowed her to keep track of how the ex-drone was faring.

That she felt herself getting aroused at the sounds Seven was making nearly sickened her.

She had of course been attracted to the younger woman for some time now, but this was just perverse. It was getting harder to listen to the quiet whimpers without drifting into fantasy. '…would she sound like that in bed?'

A steady murmur broke her thoughts and she increased the volume to make out what was being said. "…fear anything. I am Borg. We do not fear anything. I am Borg. We…"

Disturbed by the litany she turned the com unit off quickly. It would be many hours before Captain Kathryn Janeway would be able to sleep tonight.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

B'Elanna was bored. The upcoming sector of space seemed to be uneventful, no major mishaps had occurred since Seven popped that greasy rat Kovin, and besides the fact that the iso-kinetic cannon wasn't compatible with Voyagers systems, there had been no Engineering emergency's in days.

In fact the only thing of any interest that seemed to be happening was the occasional speculation into what punishment the captain had cooked up for Barbie Borg.

No one seemed to know exactly what it was, and Seven wasn't telling. Of course most people could care less about the ex-drone getting a slap on the wrist from the Captain, but then B'Elanna wasn't most people.

Despite her dislike of the blonde, she was Klingon enough to respect a person as strong as the ex-drone and her abilities. That said abilities seemed to be suffering, if only enough that no one else could tell, was just cause for her to take some notice. After all the saying goes _'keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.'_

'I wonder what punishment would be able to get Blondie so out of sorts…'

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

Despite her fear of the dark Seven had kept her word and shown up on time for the last few nights, though she was coming to regret that more and more.

Each night seemed to be so much worse than the last as the blackness threatened to consume her whole and leave nothing but the terrible memories of acts she knew would never be forgiven. At all other times she acted like the ex-drone she had been, hiding behind the mechanical barrier of 'perfection', but in the dark she remembered what it had been to be a child and exactly how it had felt to lose that.

The remembered pain alone was enough to make her weep, let alone the acts she had committed once fully assimilated.

Tonight she had reached her limit. Seeing the assimilation of Naomi Wildman in the darkness made sure of that. The thought had come as she remembered herself a drone on Voyager, and exactly what she would have done to her young friend had the Borg succeeded in assimilating the crew.

The overwhelming ache she felt in her chest at these thoughts had sent her to find the half Ktarian as soon as possible.

At the moment it was 0300 hours and here she stood in front of the Wildman quarters, eager to see her young friend was safe but not wanting to wake her from sleep. The sound of muffled footsteps alerted her to movement from within the quarters and without another moments hesitation she quietly knocked on the door just loud enough to be heard.

A moment later and she was staring a tired Samantha Wildman in the eyes.

"Seven? Wha- Why are you here so late? Is there something wrong?" Sam Wildman was not entirely trustful of her daughter being friends with an ex-drone, but over time had come to see that the other woman was in need of Naomi's company as much as anyone. Still didn't mean she appreciated the tall blonde coming around so early in the morning though.

"I… there is nothing wrong. I heard footsteps and…" Taking a closer look at the blonde at her door, Sam Wildman was shocked. The normally composed woman was a mess, her clothes rumpled, hair hanging from its usual bun and what she knew to be her human eye swollen and red from tears. Whatever was wrong it was obviously not ships business. "I apologize for disturbing you so late but…"

"Seven." She interrupted softly by placing a hand on the other woman's arm. "What ever is wrong can wait long enough for you to come in and sit down. Come on."

Following along silently, Seven was grateful that the older woman had let her in, but still nervous at the situation she found herself in. She had no idea how to behave in this type of situation, but understood that being her usual self would not be appreciated.

"Alright Seven, have a seat while I get us something to drink."

Spotting the nearby couch Seven did so without even the thought of her usual response. From her spot she could distinctly hear two other heart beats, one the familiar steady rhythm of her friend at rest. Unconsciously she relaxed just a fraction, something that did not go unnoticed.

Coming to sit next to her unexpected guest, Sam wondered at how young she seemed in her mannerisms, and not for the first time. "Alright Seven, I know something has to be bothering you to come by when you know very well that Naomi is asleep. I promise that whatever you say to me will not go beyond these walls, but I really would like to know."

"I… I wish to see that Naomi Wildman is functioning properly." She hadn't meant her words to sound so forceful, and flinched at how badly she knew this may end up. She really just wanted to see with her own eyes that the girl was safe and it would be enough.

"What do you mean by functioning properly?" Sam had seen the woman flinch at her own words and decided to keep calm and get her to explain fully. "Why do you need to see Naomi?"

"I…" She was at a loss. Seven knew that Naomi's mother didn't appreciate her being friends with her daughter, and really didn't want to upset the woman with talk of assimilation. Before today she would have simply blurted it out as she always did, but without regeneration to calm her, the images were still as real and fresh in her memory as if they had only occurred moments ago. She didn't want to see them again.

"Does this have anything to do with why you were crying?" Sam said it softly and without malice, but knew it was so when the young blonde snapped her head around to face her. "Seven, I promise no matter what you say I will hear you out. Just tell me as best you can, ok?"

And so she did.

She told the older woman everything about her punishment and how much she hated the dark. Told in detail the things she had felt and thought as she lay crying in the dark, and told exactly why she felt the need to make sure her friend was not assimilated. The telling was clinical and detached as she relived those moments in her mind, doing her best to not break down as she had only hours ago.

The entire recitation took only half an hour, but it had felt like longer. By the end Samantha was in tears and to be honest with herself, livid with the Captain. "Oh Seven…"

Moving closer she pulled the stiff blonde into her arms for a hug only to be resisted at first. Gently she coaxed the younger woman to relax and within moments had a crying ex-drone in her arms. "Shh, it's ok. Let it all out, Seven. Naomi is fine and sleeping in her bed." She kept trying to calm the overwhelmed woman just like she would for her own daughter.

At this moment Samantha could never understand why it was they had ever treated this woman so coldly.

"Look at me Seven." Gently she tilted the younger blondes head up to look her in the eyes, and carefully wiped away the tears she saw. "I am sorry if I have ever hurt you with my words or actions, but what the Captain has done is not right. You said that she knew you were afraid to be alone in the dark. No one who says they care for you should ever do that. You need to tell someone-"

Seven interrupted quickly as she pulled away. "You promised you would not tell!"

"I did, and I won't. But Seven what the Captain is doing is wrong. At least promise me you will think about telling Tuvok, I know he would be able to help if you asked." Sam stroked Seven's cheek in a maternal gesture of affection as she tried to calm the blonde once more. "Can you do that? I don't want you to feel like you deserve this, because you don't."

Seven locked eyes with the mother of her friend and saw something directed at her that she hadn't witnessed from anyone other than Naomi. Affection shone from blue eyes and she could only agree. "I promise."

"Good. Now dry your eyes and let's go see my daughter, I'm sure she won't mind if you check in on her." And with the magic that all mothers are capable of, Seven's fears had been eased for the night.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

_Well! This seems as good a place as any to stop this chapter. Any one who has actually read this before will quickly notice the new changes, including a brand new scene! _

_Also before anyone asks, Samantha Wildman is NOT a potential love interest. I had to put that in b/c as I reread it myself that thought sort of popped up. Seven is friends with Naomi in a more child like fashion than the TV series depicts this time around, and is in effect learning her Humanity from a child's point of view through their various games and adventures in the holo-deck. _

_Sam does recognize this but is still mistrustful of Seven simply b/c she has never spent any time around the woman when she wasn't on duty, though she does hear plenty from Naomi. As we all know Seven on duty is much different from Seven playing tag with her best friend._

_Also as for the whole telling point of view, Seven's punishment is literally her worst fear used against her, and having someone she trusts use it as such is tantamount to torture. However Seven also has tremendous respect for her Mentor, and a healthy dose of fear. You can not forget that she still remembers ALL of what occurred during Year of Hell, and that was a year of character building and learning that is not so easily dismissed for her._

_In any case I hope you are enjoying the rewrite! Chapter 2 will be up as soon as I finish typing it._

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	3. The Magic of Mothers

**Dark Hearts**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own ST: Voyager or anything associated with it, someone much more famous than me does.

**AU ST: Voyager with major episode rewrites and an EVIL Janeway.**

**Summary: **_DARKFIC—Captain Janeway sets out to punish Seven of Nine for her actions against the arms dealer Kovin, only to find a twisted pleasure in the power she wields. Feeling Alienated from the crew Seven feels she must deal with the Captain's actions on her own until someone unexpected comes to her rescue. _

**Authors Notes: **Welcome to the rewrite of .:Dark Hearts:. Chapter 2! I've been doing some serious rewriting of the story as I go, and this chapter is no different. Several scenes have been moved or reworked to alter the flow of the story, and hopefully make it that much better.

Quick Warning: This Chapter sees the evolution of Janeway's Dark feelings for Seven and thus means that it is not as kid friendly as the last. From this point on the story will begin to earn its M rating.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

It had already been eight days since Seven had started her punishment, and she was getting desperate to avoid another night of torture. Running to her friend's mother for comfort afterwards each night was _not_ something she wanted to continue doing, and she had decided it was time to do something to help herself. Granted it would be nothing direct, and most definitely she would tell no one else, but she felt she had to try and would pray to Omega that the Captain didn't find out.

Trying to convince the person that hated her most on Voyager to take her on an away mission was probably not the best idea to start with however.

"GOD DAMN IT SEVEN! What in the HELL is wrong with you?" B'Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer of Voyager was pissed. This of course was not anything unusual in and of itself, especially considering who she was angry at. No, what was unusual was _why_ the half-Klingon was angry.

"There is nothing _wrong_ with me lieutenant. I merely wish to run some close range scans of an anomaly located near the planet you are assigned to mine." Seven raised her ocular implant in amusement as the Klingon hybrid growled with rage, an event that never ceased to entertain her.

"Why? Why in Grethor would _you_, want to accompany _me_, on a three day mission to gather Dilithium, and don't give me that research crap you've been spewing! We both know the sensors in Astrometrics are much better equipped for that kind of thing, and besides… we can't stand each other!" B'Elanna wondered faintly if insanity was contagious, and if so who had managed to infect the logical minded ex-drone.

"That is of no real concern at this time. I assure you that I will endeavor to 'stay away' from you except when it is necessary." Seven calmly watched the smaller woman stalk about and briefly wondered if she had made a mistake coming to the Lieutenant first. She nearly paled at the thought that the Captain might just add on to her punishment even if the engineer did agree to her request.

She _really_ hoped that wouldn't be the case.

B'Elanna stopped and stared at Seven, debating the small set of pros versus her arm long list of cons that came with having the ex-drone so close for so long, when suddenly a thought hit her. "Does the Captain know you want to come along on this mission?"

Seven shifted nervously, wishing for perhaps the first time that she was more capable of deception, and hoped that simply avoiding the topic would work. Of course such atypical behavior stood out like a beacon to B'Elanna's enhanced senses. "She doesn't know does she? Why not? You have to get her permission in the end anyways."

Seven blinked in mild surprise, she had actually forgotten about that rather important detail in her quest to get the engineer to agree. This was looking more and more to have been a bad idea. "I knew that if I have your support that the Captain would be far more likely to agree as well." This of course was the truth, just not the reason she had come to the shorter woman first.

B'Elanna wasn't convinced but let that slide for now. "This has something to do with the punishment Janeway gave you for hitting that guy, doesn't it?" She nearly purred in satisfaction as she watched Seven's eyes flit away in discomfort, even as the tall blonde nodded a silent yes.

"Well sorry, but unless the Captain says okay, or your punishment ends, I can't help you." She was grinning at this point, enjoying the discomfort of the ex-drone even as she turned to walk away. "If I did I'd be right there with you for the next month at least."

"That would be acceptable." The shorter woman nearly choked in surprise; surely she hadn't heard that correctly. 'What in Grethor has got her so spooked she'd be willing to bunk with _me_ for a month?'

"Look, if you want to go you have to ask Janeway. I can't do anything except bring it up at the staff meeting tonight, and she'll instantly know it wasn't my idea." Seven felt a chill roll down her spine as her attempt to escape punishment neatly exploded in her face.

Thanking the engineer for her help she left to continue her duty shift with a sense of dread. She had a feeling this was going to be a very bad night.

'There are only six more days left in my punishment. If I am _very_ lucky the Captain will not find a need to lengthen that time.'

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

As it turned out Seven wasn't very lucky at all.

The Captain had been angry once she realized what the ex-drone had been trying to do, so much so that Seven had been told to report to the holodeck an hour earlier than usual before the meeting had even finished. It had been embarrassing, and Lieutenant Torres had not made it any better by snickering at her from across the table. Things were not 'looking up' as Naomi would say.

Now she stood silently before the force ten glare leveled at her in an empty holodeck. The vague image of the Borg Queen cowering from a glaring Janeway briefly entered her head as she waited for the Captain to speak. 'I wonder if Naomi would find that image entertaining.'

"You tried to run away from your punishment." It was a statement of fact, one that would not be denied. Seven felt herself actually flinching at the tone Captain Janeway was using. Instinctively she knew that things had just gotten much worse, and she had no one to blame but herself. A feeling similar to, but much stronger than, embarrassment made her look down and away not wanting to see the disappointment in her mentors eyes. The cold press of a hypo-spray at her neck quickly startled her into looking back up.

"Why?" It was a simple question, but one that left her confused nonetheless. Was the Captain actually asking her to explain herself? This never happened; usually it was just 'What you did was wrong. You should have done this instead. This is your punishment. You are dismissed.' And that would be it, no questions asked.

"Answer me when I ask you a question, Seven." A growl that could put a Klingon to shame left the older woman's throat. "Why did you attempt to run from your punishment when you knew very well what would happen once I caught you?"

It took her a moment to find the right words to explain herself to an angry Captain. "I…" She paused a moment gathering the strength to admit her weakness. "There is no light, no sound, nothing but myself and my memories. Even vibrations from the warp core are gone, and it frightens me… I hate it."

"So you ran away like a frightened child? Disobeyed my orders? Went _behind_ my back? To what end, a chance to escape for a few days?" Janeway glared hard at the ex-drone, noticing vaguely that she was actually growing aroused by the confrontation. As Seven turned away once more the Captain felt a primal need to make the younger woman submit to her.

Grabbing the ex-drones chin roughly and forcing her eyes back, she let out another, lower pitched growl. "You will look at me when I am speaking to you. Now, answer my question. Why did you try to run from your punishment when you _knew_ I would find out about it?"

Seven's eyes closed briefly before she was forced to open them once more by a surprisingly painful squeeze of the Captain's hand on her lower jaw. "I would… I do not enjoy the feelings I get by reliving my memories, they are… disturbing. I would… do anything, take _any_ other punishment. _Please_, do not leave me in that room."

Janeway's eyes narrowed as she contemplated this, her thoughts leaning closer towards the forbidden the longer she let this go on. "I find it strangely difficult to believe that you would stoop to _begging,_ merely to avoid being alone in the dark."

"I give you my word Captain, _anything_ else just _please_ do not make me go back in there." She _would_ beg if it came to that. Seven didn't think she could stand to watch the entire crew of Voyager be assimilated because of her once again, even if it was only in her imagination. Just the _thought_ of having to see it again caused an ache in her chest that even her nano-probes couldn't fix.

"I may just take you up on that, but certainly not tonight. Tonight, you will continue your punishment with some altered parameters. Instead of being released at 0200 hours, you will remain here until 0400 hours. The same shall go for the remaining length of your original punishment, and _then_ we will see what to do about your insubordination."

Seven's heart sank as she realized that not only had her original punishment been made worse, but that she now had to worry about a secondary punishment as well. As the empty grid changed in to the now familiar room, she could feel the hypo-spray contents begin working and was grateful the Captain had taken her arm to lead her into the cell. Looking up from her brief wave of dizziness, a _very_ important change in the program made itself apparent.

The cell she had come to expect was half the size of one in the ship's real brig, but was still to be considered fairly spacious. What Seven saw before her now though, was nothing short of being a closet, a closet that wasn't even large enough to fit her alcove. Even the ceiling had been lowered so that she would be forced to duck slightly once inside! She began to panic at the sight and tried to pull herself free of the Captain's grip, but was unable to as the hypo-spray had begun to work in earnest leaving her no stronger than a child would be until it had run its course.

"No! I do not wish to go in there!"

"Well then, it's unfortunate that you disobeyed me…" And with that Captain Kathryn Janeway threw Seven into the modified cell before quickly activating the force field. "… isn't it."

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

Here she was again, sitting on the couch she had created as she listened to her Astrometrics officer crying in the dark. It had become a sort of ritual to do so over the last few days, a morbid and perverse ritual, but one she felt was necessary. After all, the reason she had made sure to install a one way com-unit was to make sure that things could not get out of hand. That she found herself more often than not fantasizing about the younger woman, even as that same disturbing litany continued to play in the background, was beside the point.

She tried not to be aroused by the cries and pleas the ex-drone would release, but it was steadily getting harder and harder for her to resist thinking of just how easy it would be to do the things she imagined. Once those thoughts began to make themselves known it was all she could do to just leave the program instead of remain there and allow herself to think perverse thoughts.

'I need to control myself, control. Letting my hormones lead will not help me get this ship home any faster…' She was pulled from her thoughts as a change in the usual litany caught her attention.

"…good, I promise. Please let me out. I will be good, I..."

'I need to leave.' She quickly snapped the com off and stood, a burst of arousal traveling down her spine as naughty thoughts danced in her head. 'Right now.' And with that thought Captain Janeway practically ran from the holo-deck even as images of a helpless Seven flashed before her eyes.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

Samantha Wildman may have only been a lowly Ensign on this ship, but she was also a mother, and as a mother she had some _very_ choice words she wished to share with her Captain. Unfortunately she had promised not to reveal her knowledge of certain events to anyone, and oh how she wished that wasn't so, but Seven took her promises _very_ seriously.

For the last few nights Seven of Nine had been coming by the Wildman quarters once her, she put as much venom as possible into even thinking about it, once her _punishment_ was over. That first night had been unsettling, and seeing the ex-drone so vulnerable had forced her to re-examine the way she had been acting since Naomi had come home and told her that Seven had agreed to be her friend. She had known, intellectually, that someone her daughter enjoyed spending so much time with couldn't be nearly as cold or dangerous as many of the crewmen tended to say, especially when they thought they couldn't be heard.

It had taken having the woman break down in her quarters for her to understand exactly _why_ it was that her daughter adored an ex-drone. Seven was as close to a sister figure as Naomi would ever have on this ship full of adults, and Sam was finally ok with that.

Currently she was waiting up for the younger woman to stop by; she knew it would happen even if Seven said differently, the younger woman needed the comfort provided too much not to. Glancing at the chronometer on the wall Sam frowned, it was almost 0400 hours and the other woman hadn't come by yet. Quietly she asked the computer for the location of the Astrometrics officer.

*Seven of Nine is located in holodeck three*

"Computer, is there an active program running in holodeck three?" She was getting a little bit worried; Seven should have left from her punishment by now.

*Affirmative*

"Computer, how much time remains until the program in holodeck three finishes?" A scowl was slowly making its way onto her features, if the Captain had done what she thought it would take a miracle for her not to explode next time they crossed paths.

*There are 3 minutes remaining*

'Eight hours! Seven can barely handle being by herself for _six_ hours at a time!' Sam bit her lip as she tried to think of what the ex-drone would be like after an extended time in that room. Whatever her reaction, it would not be good. Glancing at the chronometer once more she made a quick decision, nearly leaping off the couch in her hurry.

"Computer, alert me if Seven of Nine leaves holodeck three before I get there."

*Affirmative*

As she rushed silently to the nearest turbo lift Sam hoped desperately that she was simply overreacting and would not find a broken ex-drone waiting for her.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

Seven had never before in her existence felt as she did when she had been locked into that modified cell. The added knowledge that she was in so small a space had made it feel as if the darkness was trying to crush her, and unable to even stand properly she was helpless to prevent it. Numerous new and increasingly horrible memories had played before her eyes, quickly reducing her to a sobbing fetal mess.

For the first time since she had understood what it was to be an individual, Seven wished she had never been severed from the collective.

She had begged endlessly to be let out; hoping that someone, _anyone_ would hear and make it so; even the Borg Queen would have been a welcome savior. After a while it had become a mantra, promising to do whatever was asked of her if only someone would let her_ out _of that horrible place.

"…me out. I promise I'll be good, please let me out. I promise…"

At some point Seven had begun rocking herself back and forth in time with her words, and was lost so far into herself that when the program ended she did not notice. It took a gentle hand on her shoulder and a familiar voice calling her name to break her trance.

"Seven? Please look at me Seven, you're scaring me."

Looking up and into the light for the first time in over eight hours, Seven let out a relieved sob as she saw the face of Samantha Wildman and quickly lunged into the older woman's arms. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you…" Over and over again she thanked the woman who had come to help her, and relished in how _safe_ she felt now that she was out of that room.

"Shh, it's alright Seven. You're safe now, just let it all out. Shh, it's ok now…"

They didn't leave until they had to.

**.:Dark Hearts:.**

_Ok, first off let me say how VERY SORRY I am for taking so long to update. Writer's block can be a total bitch, plus with all of my real life plans intruding I haven't had much time nor motivation to work on this. To be honest I had planned for at least two more scenes for this chapter but felt that ending it here would be fine as well. _

_Real life has of course been the main reason I hadn't updated in so long, and at this point It is going to start taking a while to get the next chapters out as more and more new material starts to thread its way into the Dark Hearts universe I have created._

_I hope you aren't completely disappointed by my lack of updates, and I humbly thank all of you who continue to review and urge me to update soon. _

_Until next time…_


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